


Toss A Coin

by DarknessMySorrow



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28477602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessMySorrow/pseuds/DarknessMySorrow
Summary: Alice Lorens is the only victim that survived Red John. She wonders why did he choose her and why did he kill her parents. She wants revenge so she decides to join the CBI team and solve the Red John Case. Will Jane help her or will Alice help him? He soon realizes that Alice isn't an ordinary girl. Maybe there's a mystery behind her story that even she doesn't know
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Patrick Jane/Teresa Lisbon





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is also cross-posted on Ff.net

Dear Diary,

I've never written in the diary before, so I don't even know how to start. I was told - more like ordered - to write down everything I think and to show my emotions. I seriously doubt they have any clue about how I feel or what I think. They have no idea about it. They act as they know us oh-so-well and they know our feeling too. Yeah, right. They are simply pretending. I wish they would just stop but I know it's their job.

I'm 17 years old girl and my name's 'the one and only'. That's the name I have received from the police. I'm not popular and I've never been on TV before but people know me. I had been given this nickname for only one reason: I survived the sharp knife of the infamous serial killer RJ.

To say I've never heard of him would be a huge lie. I don't believe there's someone who doesn't know him and what he has down so far. The only thing I don't understand is that I don't know why he had chosen me. What he wanted from me.

I was told that when I'd returned to my house, my parents were in the living room. It seemed that they were practically swimming in their blood. I don't remember that. I didn't even know about it till I had woken up in the hospital.

The doctor said I was found in my room with lots of bruises, cuts and broken ribs and right arm. Then I was put in a coma to heal properly., It has been six months since then. The police officers had been itching to question me. I was the only survivor and they wanted answers as soon as possible.

I'd agreed with the doctor and he let the men in the ward. I told them I would help as well as I could. I told them I didn't know anything. Then they started asking me stuff like where did I live? When did I get home? Did my parents fight? Was I a depressed child? Did I have enough free time? What did I do during it? Did I have any friends? Their names? Whom did I trust the most? Why didn't U trust the others?

After an hour of questioning me, they finally began asking about that dreadful night. I repeated that I didn't remember much but they didn't stop. Did I see my parents that day? yes. Were they fighting? No, why would they?! Were they upset or nervous? I don't know. Did **he** say anything? I don't know. Why didn't I protect myself? Did I wound him?

They went on and on till I didn't see the nurse holding the vase full of red roses. It was like everything had faded and I could only see the vase and behind them a big bloody smiley face. Two bodies were laying on the carpet, swimming in their blood. There was a man too - sitting between them and the smiley face. I could see - feel? - his sad smile behind the mask, though I don't know how. He was holding the knife but there was gun resting on the table. The man stood up from the chair when he noticed me. He grabbed the knife tightly and came towards me...

Then, I screamed...

Now I'm still stuck in the hospital, but it's the different one. It's like I'm in jail but there are no bars and the room is white, sickeningly white. And there's silence everywhere I look...

Dear diary,

My name is Alice M. Lorens and I'm insane, officially...


	2. Chapter 2

It's an ordinary day. It's raining outside but the sky promises us better weather. I woke up an hour ago and now I'm sitting in the white room on the mattress. I can see there's a comfortable bed but I prefer the mattress. It seems to be more comfortable than any other furniture.

I'm waiting for the nurse or whoever she is to bring me some food. It's supposed to be breakfast but for me, it doesn't matter. I just want her to be finished soon. The sooner, the better. Well then, she never leaves immediately. She cleans up the bed even though no one sleeps there, then asks if I need something after receiving the negative answer, she leaves.

This little but bright room gets on my nerves. It does not calm me down. I feel like a bird in the cage that's waiting to be freed. Difference between us is that I'm afraid of that freedom. I feel kind of protected here and the outside world seems too dangerous for me. I'm not ready for that.

I don't know how long have I been here. Everything seems to have happened years ago. I've not seen the doctor yet... or have I? I don't remember. I realize I've been forgetting things about my family and everything related to that.

The most annoying fact is that I can't even sleep. Not that I don't want to, but I can't. The nightmares keep me awake and only drugs calm me down. But sometimes I can't control it. At these moments the only thing I see is that red bloody smiley face on the wall...

And I scream...

And laugh...

And cry...

I don't know where these smiling faces on the wall are coming from. They aren't the same as the one in my dreams. They are smiling at me but there aren't sad. But that's beside the point.

I look around. the light comes through the window and plays on the floor. Their rest of the room is still dark. There aren't any happiness people seems to share in the outside world with the weather.

I curse under my breath. The rain was so good. I could almost feel it washing away my problems.

I stand up and look around from above. There's nothing strange about the room. It's completely the same but there's something unfamiliar. Not the light, neither the footsteps. Silence... The patients aren't crying, singing, laughing, screaming or doing something at all... That's strange. This is the asylum, full of crazy and mad people. So I'm wondering why is here this kind of defying silence?

 _Drugs._ My brain offers.

Sighting, I sit down on the mattress and wait. Soon the familiar woman opens the door and enters the room. I see a tall man and a short brunette woman following her. The man with bright blond hair and a 100-watt smile. He's wearing a three-piece suit and old brown shoes.

_Sentimental._

I can't help but smile back at him. He's hiding his true self behind that smiley mask. I can see his smile doesn't reach his oceanic blue eyes.

His smile fades as soon as he glances at the walls. His eyes are full of fear and regret now. These blue eyes aren't even trying to hide the mess behind them. The mas in broken but he can hide it this well. Too bad he can't fool me.

I examine the woman behind him. Dark brown almost black hair reaches her shoulders. She has a slim, very slim body like she hasn't eaten in weeks.. Her green eyes show motherly love towards everything they look at. She's good at hiding her true feelings too.

_Must come with being a cop._

She's not as affected as the blond but she tenses and looks at me in the eyes, then turns to the man and says in the gentle voice:

"Jane"

_They have seen these smiles somewhere._

The man reacts immediately like he sobers from a dream and turns towards the nurse.

"Thank you, Sarah, you can leave us now" he gives her a sly smile. Sarah blushes and murmurs.

"Be careful, Mr. Jane. The last time she was interrogated, she ended up here"

Jane nods and the woman leaves. he smiles at me now and comes near the corner. He kneels before and holds out his hand.

"Hello there, young lady, my name's Patrick Jane and this is Teresa Lisbon. We are from the C.B.I,"

I reach out and shake his hand politely.

"Alice Lorens" I reply.

"Well, Alice, we want to ask you some questions. Do you think you can answer them?"

"About... this?" I point towards the wall behind me. Jane squeezes my hands.

"Alic..."

"It's Miss Lorens for you, Mr. Jane" cut him off "and Agent Lisbon, why won't you sit down on the bed? Don't worry, nobody uses it anyway" I smile at their surprised faces.

"Alright, Alice" Jane calls me by my first name again, ignoring my request and looks at Lisbon as if asking for the permission to start. She nods and Jane turns to me again. "I want you to remember that day very well. Maybe you can help us"

"I'll try" I reply dryly.

"Fine. Do you know who killed your parents?"

I give him 'are-you-out-of-your-mind' look.

"Red John" I shrug.

"Can you tell me what happened that day?" asked Lisbon. Her voice very sweet and gentle "I know it was about a year and a half ago but still..."

A year and a half? Wow! I've spent a half year in the hospital when I was in a coma and now I'm stuck here about a year. Hm...

"That day wasn't different from the others. I woke up, had breakfast and left for school. My parents always leave when I'm still sleeping so I wasn't surprised when I found myself alone at home. When I returned home, there wasn't anything strange. The doors were closed as I left them and the house was empty... At least, I thought so..." I trailed off.

Jana and Lisbon exchange the gazes.

"You entered the house..." helps Jane.

"I entered the living room. The first thing I noticed was... I point to the smiles "then there were two died bodies... my parents..."

"Was there anyone else?"

"A man... I don't remember his face, he was wearing a mask, but somehow I could see his smile... He was smiling! At me!"

"Okay, Alice, calm down" he squeezes my hand again.

"He was waiting for me! I don't remember if he said something. But he... he forced me to wear this damned dress... It was red.. beautiful but old... And there were those roses... and he was prepared..." I look into Jane's eyes and continue "the first cut he gave me was on my belly... then my wrists and waist... chest... throat... he didn't touch my back though..."

I'm hyperventilating now. Need to calm down...

It's not easy to go into details.

"It's enough, I guess" Jane lets go of my hand and stands up.

"Did it help? I don't remember much..." Jane shakes his head and smiles.

"You did help us, Alice. Thank you"

"We are sorry for your lose, Ms. Lorens," says Lisbon and they both turn towards the door. I can't let them go that easily.

"Mr. Jane..." I call out.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I'm sorry for your loss too.." I smile at them "and Agent Lisbon, I'm pretty sure your family is alright. Just talk to them"

Her eyes do wide. Jane stares at me for a while, then grins widely.

"Let's go, Lisbon" he drags her outside.

"But, Jane!" she protests "how did sh..."

Their voices disappear in the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it good, was it bad? Too cliche? Let me know lol


	3. Chapter 3

It's been weeks since I've last seen them. Sarah made sure the smiles were gone within an hour. But I still managed to draw a big one. It's by my blood now. I cut my finger so I could draw it again. Sarah almost freaked out when she first saw that. I didn't bother to explain why I did that. It wasn't necessary. I just can't - won't - forget that damned man and his signature as long as I live. And I should be 17 right now. I've at least 60 years to live if he doesn't change his mind and finishes me off - that's it.

I began acting as normally as I can if that's possible for an insane girl. Doctor James lets me out of the room. I can chat with other patients now. I can but I don't. I'm sure they won't understand me and some of them will freak out if I start 'reading their minds' as Sarah calls my so-called gift.

One day Doctor James enters my room with Sarah who is holding a bag. I'm sitting in the armchair beside the window, humming. Doctor James smiles at me but before he says anything, I cut him off.

"So, I can finally leave..."

This isn't a question, more like a statement. His eyes go wide, that tells me I'm right. Sarah points to him.

"That's what I meant. She's crazy! She's dangerous for people"

"I'm not crazy, Sarah" I laugh "I might have bad mental health but I can think pretty well"

Sarah growls at me and leaves the room, dropping the bag on the bed. Doctor James smiles at me again and sits down beside it.

"Mind telling me how did you figure it out?" he asks softly.

I look through the window.

She was holding a bag, which wasn't empty. That means it's full of clothes. She wouldn't come with you to give them to me without a reason"

He raises eyebrows.

"And you are happy. You are happy that your wife is pregnant but that doesn't mean you've to be happy for a crazy girl too. You are professional so you never let your patients know what's going on in your minds. Today your eyes are practically sparkling along with Sarah's. She was never happy to have been in contact with me. So the conclusion is that tomorrow I'm leaving and because my house is no longer the crime scene, I can stay there as long as I want till I decide to sell it. Does that answer your question, Doctor?" I grin at his speechless expression.

"H-how...Wow!"

"I don't read minds as Sarah accuses me of" I shrug "I just happen to pay attention. After all, I'm not busting here"

"You are pretty good at reading people, Alice" he stands up, I follow his example. He's a lot taller than me so he's looking down at me. He comes closer and pulls me in the hug. He's shaking when he kisses my forehead "I'm glad you are alright now"

"So am I, Doctor" I pull back and smile at him "thank you for everything. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to recover. I know it sounds strange but if you even need anything, I'll be there for you"

James laughs.

"Don't worry, Alice. I'll save a mental not about it."

"Tell Anna, that she has to take care of herself. Having a baby will be hard for her but she has to be strong. She'll hate you too at some point, not that I'm talking from experience but anyway... as soon as ou two catch your son in your arms every worry will vanish in the thin air."

"You sure it's a boy?" asks James doubtfully. I pout at him.

"Come on! Right now I just told you your wife's name and said that she's pregnant and all you care is the baby being a boy?"

James chuckles.

"Okay, okay, you caught me" he hugs me once again "you're like a daughter I've never had, Alice. Don't be afraid to come back here. If you are too scared or if you can't go home. This is the hospital but you can come back and see me anytime. This room will always be yours" I close my eyes and nod.

"Thank you, James. I'll hold onto that"

"You better. I'll leave you now, it's late. Try to sleep..." he sighs "at least pretend you're asleep. Tomorrow morning you can leave" he prepares to leave but I stop him.

"Doc..."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for everything again... and I...just don't let someone erase this..." I point at the face on the wall. Hen ods and closes the door behind him.

I'm free...

Finally...


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah packs my belongings in the bag and throws it to me. I catch it easily and flash her the grin

"Come on, Sarah!" I pout "can't you at least be nice with me? It's not like we'll me again" she shoots me the glare

"That's what I'm looking forward" she frowns "I don't have any wish to see you again" I sigh dramatically

"Do you think that I'm crazy, Sarah?" I ask her with a fallen face

"Lissa..." her glare disappears "I don't hate you..." she comes near me and pats my shoulder "I have the daughter around your age so I know how to handle with them" she tries to smile "and I know you aren't crazy.. Broken maybe but not crazy. Did you know that I've been here all the time when you had to break down? I was calming you down and singing so you could sleep property..." I freeze. My eyes are widened in shock and my mouth is dried

"B..but.. you... that attitude...?" I can't find my voice. She chuckles

"Come one, girl!" she tries to cheer me up "and you say you pay attention?" she grins at my shocked face "you are a second daughter to me, Lissa. I love you very much too... I was trying so hard so you couldn't notice I cared about you until you left. I didn't want you to think as you owe me as it happened with James" I shake the head stubbornly

"No way, Sarah! You had to tell me! I thought you couldn't stand me!" I protest her decision

"Well that happened already, you can't change something" she giggles. My head drops on my chest with a sigh

"God!" Sarah embraces me, I put the head on her shoulder and hold the breath

"Remember what James told you, Lissa" she reminds me "you are always welcome here" she strokes my hair "I'll make sure this room will be always ready for you. James said he'll help me to decorate it so you can think it's your bedroom and not the room for patients" I nod. I feel my eyes tear up. I drop the bag and wrap the arms around her shoulders

"Thank you, Sarah, that you so much. You've no idea how a lot it means to me" I sob in her chest. She rubs my back so I can calm down a little

"Come one now, Lissa" I wipe tears away "better?" I laugh loudly

"You are a very good caretaker, Sarah. I think you can help your sister-in-law" her eyes almost are popped out. I chuckle "did you think it wasn't easy to see similarities between you and James You two are siblings, it's as obvious as my name is Alice"

"I guess I can help Anna with the kid," says Sarah when she recovers from the shock

"It's a boy, isn't it?"

"I won't ask you how do you know that" she grins

"You better not"

"Okay now, Ms Obvious, take this damned bag and return to your house" I close eyes

"I've to buy the cellphone first"

"Money is in the bag, kid" she puts the bag in my hands and flashes the paper before my eyes "those are James and my numbers. You know you can call us anytime" I grab it tightly

* * *

I always hated to admit my defeat. Mom used to be so angry about my stubbornness but I thought it was a good thing and it meant I was strong. How wrong I was. I never realized this until I didn't lose everything I'd in my life.

Standing in the middle of the street, I looked around miserably. There's nothing I recognize. Where the hell am I? And where the hell is my house? Those are questions I needed to answer immediately, the others could wait. I could catch the taxi but I didn't know the address so this didn't help. Sarah once told me I was in Sacramento, California but what was I doing here? Why the hell was I in the USA when I wasn't living there?

The realization hit me too hard. I told the wrong dream version to the police. I wasn't coming back from school when that happened. I remembered everything clearly. What I needed was to search for CBI and tell the agents the truth.

I crossed the road and stopped the taxi

"Hello, there" the driver greeted

"Hi. Can you bring me to the CBI HQ?" I asked as politely as I could

"Of course, sit. Did something happen yo you, young one?" he asked when I opened the door and sat

"No, sir" I shook the head "I've someone to see there"

"Alright," we drove in silence until the car didn't reach the CBI. I pain the driver and inhaled deeply

'Calm down, Lice. You can do it. There's nothing to worry about. You will tell the watchman, you've to see Agent Lisbon and you'll explain everything to her. See? That's easy'

I exhaled and crossed the road again. The watchman stopped me and asked my name

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Name's Alice Lorens. I'm here to meet Agent Lisbon about the case"

"What case?" I shot him a deadly glare

"Sir, I just want to meet Agent Lisbon to talk about the case. You've to know that I can't tell the passer-by about it, right?" I asked him in a sweet voice. His expression changed as soon as he hears my words. He shook the head and murmured

"I'll go, call Agent Lisbon" he left immediately. Then he returned and said I could go "the bullpen is on the fourth floor, Ms Lorens" he let me through the gates

"Thank you, sir" I waved him and sighed

'Step 2, Alice. Enter the building and tell the secretary, you are allowed above. Nothing particular. Nothing at all'

I went through the glassed door and almost bumped into someone. I apologized immediately and examined him. The Asian man about 30s with a stoic face. Exactly who I wanted to meet. Damn you, Alice! He looked down at me and shook the head

"Who are you, girl?" he asked coldly

"Alice Lorens," I noticed my name made a sense. Voila! I'm saved! He nodded ad replied

"Follow me, Boss is waiting for you" I followed him to the elevator. He pressed the 4. The door opened and I saw the bullpen. The man pointed towards the brown leather couch

"Sit here and wait" I shrugged and did what I was told. I noticed the red-haired pretty woman who seemed to be new here, watching at me carefully. She avoided my gaze and turned to the tall man who was eating

"Wayne, I guess I found something" the man swallowed and replied

"What is it?"

"The last call wasn't made by the victim. She was already dead when they called her daughter. It seems to be the killer but what I find strange is that Ms Lender said she didn't receive the call. That has to be the truth, her phone was in the car when she was with her friends"

"I'll go, talk to the Boss" Wayne guy put the sandwich on the desk and grabbed the results. He knocked on the door Asian man had disappeared though

"Come in" I heard woman's voice and he stepped in the office. I looked at the woman before me and talked

"I don't think she's lying"

"What?" she snapped when heard my voice

"the daughter" I explain, "you said her phone was in the car but someone talked to the victim, right? It's possible the killers had both phones. This way they could make the call and answer it too so they could lie easily and the call wouldn't be in missed calls list"

"Why are you so sure?" she asked doubtfully. I shrugged

"Better question the daughter again and ask her who gave her the ride. Women never leave their phones n cars. It's obvious the car wasn't hers. Someone drove her where she went"

"You mean the guy who gave her the ride, made sure her phone was left so he could answer the call and make the scene as if the daughter and the mother talked?" I grinned slyly

"Exactly" she blinked in astonishment

"How do you know tha...? she was cut off by the voice

"Van Pelt, good job" the red-haired smiled and nodded. Lisbon who exited the cabinet turned to me

"Let's go in my office, Ms Lorens, so we can talk without interrupting"

I followed her in the room. The men had left while I was talking to Van pelt so we were alone. She sat across the desk and pointed me before her. I sat down and sighed

"So what did you have to tell me?" she asked softly

"Agent Lisbon, I know when you and Mr Jane questioned me, I didn't give you anything that could help but what I told you wasn't true" Lisbon frowned

"Are you saying that you lied?" I shook the head

"No, of course. Look..." I inhale deeply "I've lots of nightmares and what I told was one of them. That day I wasn't at school. I was returning from my friend's house when I found them died"

"Why weren't you at school?" I bit my bottom lip and drew the blood

"I...that day was... my birthday, ma'am"


	5. Chapter 5

Lisbon tried not to be surprised by Alice's words. She knew she'd to listen to the girl. After all, there weren't many people especially teens who would come and say the truth to the police. Lisbon knew Lorens was the only way to find Red John. She thought her survival was just a mistake and they had to use its property. Looked like this girl was going to help them too.

Similarities between Lorens and Jane shocked Lisbon when she first met her. She was the one who found her parents and she was put in the hospital for a year... just like Jane... But she couldn't understand why Jane wanted this girl with them. Jane managed to persuade her and they met Lorens's doctor. He told them the girl was found by the police. Someone called and told there was a girl with several cuts and bruises at the crime scene. She woke up from coma after six months. then she was transferred to the psychiatry clinic. The doctor told them Lorens was receiving the red roses from someone. He was keeping them because he knew she would freak out. After all, she did so when she first saw them in the hospital. Jane decided he had to see the girl no matter what. First, he wanted to hypnosis her but when they saw those smilies on the wall, he decided against it. When she told them that she was sorry about their losses, Lisbon was completely in shock. How did that girl know about their problems? She needed answers but Jane didn't let her.

Now Lisbon was sitting in front of her and listening to the truth. The girl's parents were murdered on her birthday. The most terrible present that could be received that day. Lisbon wanted to comfort her but first, she had the job to do

"Wait a minute, Ms Lorens, I'll call Jane and then we can continue"

Lisbon left the office and pulled out the phone. She found his number and dealt it

'Come one, Jane, come on'

After seconds she heard oh so familiar voice

"What is it, Lisbon, miss me already?" she could tell she saw him smirking

"Wipe that damned grin off of your face, Jane!" she snarled. Jane chuckled

"What happened, Lisbon?"

"Where the hell are you?"

"At the victim's house, why?"

"Come back to the HQ right now, Jane. There must be news about Red John" she noticed how his breathing became heavily

"Did...did he..." she cut off his shaking voice

"No, no" she shook the head even though he couldn't see "it's about Alice Lorens"

"Ah!" Jane exclaimed "what happened to her?" he exhaled with relief

"She is my office now, Jane. She said what she told us was one of her nightmares"

"Oh, did she lie?"

"No, Jane...she...damn it!" she cursed under her breath "just come back, ok?"

"I'll be there in half-hour. Make sure she tells you everything"

"Alright" she hung up and ignored the gazes her Agents gave her. She went into her cabinet and closed the door behind herself. Lorens was standing before the window. Lisbon sat on the chair

"We better wait for him, right?" Asked Lorens

"You can tell me everything, Ms Lorens. He'll join us soon" Lorens nodded but didn't sit down

"Agent Lisbon, the only thing you have to know is that my family isn't-I meant-wasn't living in the USA. Mom and Dad wanted to live here and I didn't hamper them. I was going to school near my house. I don't have many friends here so I wasn't close with someone but when the classmates heard I'd birthday that week, they decided to celebrate it together... I received petty good presents, didn't I?" she chuckled bitterly

"That's...how can I say... horrible"

"I know" Lorens shrugged "but we can do nothing about it"

"Is there anything else you've to tell me, Ms Lorens?"

"Yes, there is" Lorens turned back and faced Lisbon "I'm pretty sure Red John didn't choose this day accidentally. Everything was planned. he knew I would freak out, that's why he sent me those red roses. He made sure I was locked in the hospital. I don't know why he needed to do that but I guess he was visiting me sometimes to check my condition"

"Why would he do that?"

"Ma'am" Lorens smirked "have you ever et a serial killer who almost kills the victim and then calls the ambulance so she can be saved? I don't think so..."

"I once said you were a pretty interesting girl, Alice"

Lisbon jumped when Jane entered the room with the blue cup in his hands

"And I'm repeating it. You are a very interesting girl" he smiled at her slyly. Lorens blinked when saw him but returned the smile

"It's Lorens for you, Mr Jane" she grinned widely "and thanks for the compliment. By the way, it'll be better if I continue, right?"

Jane sat on the couch and sipped his tea. He eyed Lisbon who nodded and then asked

"You think he called the police so you could survive?" Lorens nodded

"Yes, sir. I know Red John is a bloodthirsty bastard but he decided I was important. I don't know exactly why or how but I'm sure he'll find me in these days"

"And the red roses?" Jane examined her reaction. She winced but shook the head

"I don't know what's so important about them. I never really liked red roses. But let's think logically, I'm the only one who survived, right? He won't let me go this easily"

Jane sipped the tea again. This girl was strange. She was clever for her age. She knew what to say and when but she also had a quick eye. When he first saw her, he thought he was watching Lisbon's young self. her honey almost green eyes were reading through lines. He knew she read him too so he wasn't surprised when she said she was sorry about his losses. And now it was like she was saying everything but her self was well were thinking almost at the same time and about the same thing. Both of them were sure Red John would find her and she wanted them to catch him; His thoughts were interrupted by Lorens's voice

"Agent Lisbon, may I leave now?" Lisbon who was watching them carefully nodded

"Of course, Ms Lorens" she stood up. Alice shook her hand and turned to Jane. He jumped up and flashed his 100-watt smile

"Nice to meet you, Alice" the girl sighed

"Same here, Mr Jane" she shook his hand too and walked towards the door "Oh! And..." she turned back quickly and smirked" I already told Agent Van Pelt to check the daughter and her friends' alibi. You might find something interesting about them" with that she waved and left Jane and Lisbon alone. Jane chuckled and looked at his Boss who seemed to be shocked

"Did...did you.." she opened the mouth but closed it several times "Did you hear that?" she exclaimed. Jane gave her a wolfish smile

"I told you one of the daughter's friends had an affair with the relatives, Lisbon"

"But Jane! You talked to them but..but she didn't!" Lisbon couldn't believe her ears

"Well, dear Lisbon, I also said she was a very interesting girl" Lisbon shot him The Lisbon Glare

"Shut up, Jane!" Jane kept the smiley face and looked down at his cup pitifully

"Hmm... another cup of tea won't be bad" with these words he left the room


	6. Chapter 6

I could hear Lisbon's voice when I went near Van Pelt. She stopped typing on the keyboard and smiled at me

"Ms Lorens, you were right" I returned the grin

"I'm glad" she nodded and continued her work. I looked around the bullpen. We were alone in the office. Van Pelt noticed my hesitation and asked politely

"Can I help?"

"Yes, actually" I pointed to the empty desk before her "can I use it for a while?"

"Well, you better ask Jane, that desk is his anyway" I raised the brows

"He doesn't even use it," I remarked "just for a minute, I'll find something and then I'll leave, I promise"

"Alright, then"

I put the bag on the couch and sat on Jane's chair. I switched the comp and easily hacked into the CBI site. Then searched for the files about Red John and my family and sent them to my e-mail. After that, I looked for the address of my house, memorized it and cleared the history, logged out from the site and switched the comp off. I stood up

"I finished it, Agent Van Pelt, thank you"

"You are welcome, Ms Lorens" I nodded, took my bag and entered the elevator.

* * *

Now, I'm standing in front of my so-called house and I can't even force myself to take a step and touch the handle. I'm screwed up and so scared at the same time. I don't know what's waiting for me inside. I've no idea if this damned smiley face is still on the wall or if those roses are still in the room, withered.

I know I've to be strong. I've to open the door and step inside. And I do what I've to do. I took the steps towards the front door and took a deep breath, then opened it. It's dark inside. I reach for the switch and turn the lights on. There's everything as I remembered. The furniture is in the same place but some things are missing. I realize they were broken that night. Nothing big but still very noticeable stuff like vases and cups Mom used to love. I look at the empty placed and sigh. There's nothing I can do about the pain I feel right now. I inhaled deeply before stepping into the living room. I was right... as always. The smiley face looks at me creepily. Alright, not creepily but still, yeah.

I turn around and saw the big sofa in the middle of the room. The carpet is missing. I put the bag down and enter the kitchen. There's dust everywhere. I guess I need to clean the house up, not that it will be the first time. I open the cupboards and took the glass, then wash it and out in the table. The glass is the big cup, the green one. Dad used to love this cup. He was smiling at Mom before good morning kiss and then sipping his coffee. I feel butterflies in my stomach. The airsickness doesn't stop but I pill the glass with water and drink it silently. It seems to call me down a little.

Grumble makes me think about food. Not that I remembered what I saw eating at the clinic. But the fridge would be empty so I took the money and close the front door behind me, even if someone will break inside it. I chuckled at the thought. At least I won't be afraid of robbery.

I see the store in the corner of the street. I walk inside and choose some fruits and vegetables. I make sure to buy lots of potatoes, seems centuries since I last tasted them. I also grab some coffee and milk, then bread, butter and the cake called Napoleon. My favourites as always. It's strange to buy them since I've never bought them before. I order the annoying voice inside me to shut up and pay for food The seller looks at me and her eyes show astonishment now. She seems too happy to have me in her store. I feel like I'll throw up if I won't leave this place soon. I grab the paper bags and head towards the house. I lock the door behind me and release the breath I didn't notice I was holding. I feel protected now but this feeling goes away when I see the face. I try to ignore it and head towards the kitchen. I pill the fridge and curse as I remember I forgot eggs and bacon. I set the kettle on the stove and prepare the coffee. I cut Napoleon and eat it slowly, tasking the caffeine. The aroma is so good it's hard to not drink it immediately but that's not how the coffee has to be drunk. I was the cup but leave it in the shell.

Then I leave the house again, now for real shopping. I've to but a very good and useful cellphone, the one that won't annoy the hell out of me, then I can check out my room and the computer and read all those files I 'stole' from CBI.

* * *

I can't bring myself to look at the screen. I know it shouts RED JOHN without even looking at it. I take a deep breath before sitting on the bed and eying the computer. Annoyed by my strangeness, stupidity and fear I shut it down from the charger and turn the lights off. I need to sleep properly or I won't be able to go to school tomorrow. I've to talk to the principal to let me study again. Red John Case can wait till tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleep tonight. I know my insomnia will take over and I've to face the night alone. I realize how I hate being alone now. I've never noticed this before. Maybe because I still had Sarah and James's company. And now loneliness is noticeable.

Cut the crap!

I command and hide under the blanket. I just wish today won't be the day when Red John decides to make me realize I'm not forgotten...

At least, people can dream, can't they?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day? Hell must be freezing over lol

Great! Just great! I always hated principals and their stupid rules, now I've to watch how Mr Jones eyes me when he thinks I can't see that. He's stunned, I can say. he wasn't waiting for my appearance and now he can't find words. I chuckle inside. That happens always, I'm not surprised or angry, just annoyed. It's creepy to think I would stay insane for the rest of my damned life. Tch!

I decide it's enough and stand up. Mr Jones pulls back and opens mouth but I interrupt him

"Mr Jones, I'm not here to watch you pity me. You know me enough well to know I don't need it. I'm here to ask you let me study again but if you think you can't let the insane girl study in your school, then I'll leave"

Mr Jones jumps up at my words. He seems touched but also surprised. Nobody talks to him like this

"Ms Lorens, you know pretty well, you were our best student even though you didn't attend classes. You paren..." he stops talking when seems my glare "I didn't mean to.." I stop him with a raised hand

"It's alright, sir" he sighs

"I know you aren't crazy, maybe you've not stable psyche but I guess you can join your old class again" I raise a brow. Something's not right. I've met him before about thousands of times and I know he's very harsh but now he even apologizes

"Like this?" I ask doubtfully "no papers to sign? No exams? No meeting with teachers?" he notices he's still standing and he sits down. Then writes something and gives me the piece of the paper

"Go to the library and show this to Ms Ston, she'll give you the books, then you can go to your class, it's room 114. When school ends, come back here"

I grit the teeth. That damned man ignored my question. Geez! I hope Ms Sto doesn't have any problems with me. I roll eyes and grab the paper, then say bye and leave the office. the library was on the first floor as I remembered. I walked downstairs and examine the rooms. Here's the library! I knock and wait for the librarian to open the door. After two more knocks, she decides to open it. I see the coffee mug in the hands of the young brunette woman. She almost chokes the liquid

"Alice?" she sounds shocked. I chuckle and step inside

"May I?" she nods and closes the door behind me

"Sure, come in" I look around. Everything is still the same as I remember. I notice new books on some shelves. I turn back when I hear the noise of the kettle. Ms Ston gets the new cup and prepares the hot coffee with milk for me. I smile. She remembers I like milk. I grab the mug and inhale the scent

"Hmm" I murmur "perfect. Thanks, Ms Ston" she raises the bros

"Since when were you calling me Ms Ston?" I giggle

"Sorry, Lucy"

"Geez! Girl!" she tries to exclaim "I was so damned worry about you, you know after..." she trails off. I nodded

"It's okay, Lucy. I'm fine now" I smile "and I'm allowed to study here" her eyes sparkle at my words

"That's perfect, honey" she puts the mug down and embraces me. I grab the cup more tightly

"Careful, Lu!" I exclaim. She pulls back and blinks, then realizes what I meant and bursts out laughing "what so funny?" I pretend to be angry. Lucy can't stop laughing

"Oh! God..." she's panting "I...hahaha.." she hits my head "Alice! It's been almost two years we haven't met and what you do is caring about coffee" she wants to look angry but fails miserably. I know her pretty well

"Well, sorry, dear, but I'm caffeine attached" she watches me for a minute and then sighs dramatically

"As if I didn't know" I smile widely

"I'm so glad to meet you again, Lucy" she returns the smile

"Come here and hug me, Ali" I put the cup on the table and wrap arms around her shoulders. We're standing so about minutes then I pull back. Lucy eyes me carefully

"Ali..." I look at her, pretend to not know what she's going to ask "how are you feeling?" I put the happy-go-lucky girl's mask and grin at her

"I'm perfectly fine, Lu, why?" she shakes the head

"Stop pretending to not know what I meant, Ali" she cups my cheek and strokes it. She's taller than me so she looks down at me. I can see unshed tears in her brown eyes. I wince. That's not what I want. I put my mask back and try to lighten up the mood

"Come one, Lu. I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me"

"Should I trust you?" she asks. No. I want to tell her but can't. Her motherly attitude will take over immediately and I don't want to remember my parents right now. So I nod slightly and tickle her waist a little

"Of course you should!" I exclaim loudly and laugh. Lucy seems to fail to notice my trap. Her eyes light up and she puts the grin on her face

"That's good, Ali. You are a very good girl. You deserve happiness"

That won't happen until he lives. I know what her answer will be so I won't say anything. Lucy won't understand what I want... need to do.

"Come on, Ms Ston" I hold the paper the principal gave me out "I need books" I look down at my watch "the lesson will be end soon"

"Lucy takes the paper and signs it, then searches for the books and handles them

"Here they are, honey" I nod and throw them in my bag. It's pretty heavy!

"What the... Damn! You sure they are books and not rocks?" Lucy laughs loudly

"I'm sure, honey. Now woosh before I'll kick you out" I fake the frown

"You just dare, Ms Ston, and we'll see what happens" I kiss Lucy's cheek and leave the library. Next stop, room number 114.


	8. Chapter 8

I knock on the door and wait for the teacher to open it. I know from Lucy most of the teachers and classmates are new so I've to introduce myself once again. I'm not enjoying it but I've no choice. After all, some of my so-called friends are still in the class.

I hear someone grabs the handle and opens the door. The tall slim woman about 40s with black eyes, brown short hair and the from on her face examins me from the hair to toe and frowns more.

"What do you want?" she asks rudely. I raise the brow in surprise

"I'm the new student in this class, ma'am" the woman raises the brows too

"But I've not been informed about the new student"

 _ **'I don't give a crap about it'**_ I think.

I have the huge urge to just walk away but I can't so I explain as politely as I can

"I just finished talking with Mr Jones" I hand her the paper and smirk "may I?" I ask slightly. The woman reads the note, then nods and stands away so I can walk in.

Once my old classmates see me, I hear them gasp. Some of them exclaim, some goggles eyes. Most of them are shocked to see me but I still smile at them

"I'm your maths teacher Mrs Clinton"

"Ali?" I shiver when hearing a familiar voice. I look up at the owner. The little and very slim girl with the blond hair in a high ponytail and green eyes looks at me strangely. I sigh

"Long time no see you, Kate. What's up, shocked to see me?" Mrs Clinton blinks in surprise and looks between us

"You know them?" I look inside her eyes and flash her the sly smile

"Mrs Clinton, it's nice to meet you. My name's Alice Lorens and yes, most of the class know me because I'm their old classmate"

Mrs Clinton nods and points towards the empty desk

"Sit there, Ms Lorens, so we can continue the lesson. I'm sure you have your books"

"Yes, ma'am" I shrug, head towards the desk and try my best to ignore the looks I receive from the entire class. I eye Kate and motion that we'll talk after the lesson is ended. Kate nods and turns to Mrs Clinton.

I sigh deeply. I've to explain to Kate where I was and what was I doing the whole time I disappeared. That's extremely hard because both of us know if it wasn't Kate who decided to celebrate my birthday, my parents wouldn't be 6 feet under the ground.

I examine my friend carefully. I notice how Kate's shaking and is trying her best to hold the tears in her eyes, She's blaming herself even after the years. I understand everything pretty well but I'm not blaming her. No, I know Red John would find a way to make me be away from the house for his work. So I'm ready to calm her down and make sure the incident won't shatter my friend's life if it didn't already. And if it did, then I'll do everything to make her realize, nothing was her fault

* * *

The bell practically saved the class from the test Mrs Clinton was going to bring. The teacher sighed deeply and pointed me 'come here'. I stood up and walked near her table. Mrs Clinton was writing in the journal, then she looked up at me

"Ms Lorens, I've to warn you that you with your arrival, harmed my lesson. I don't like it when students do that and mostly I send them to the headmaster. Just because you are the new here doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you that. You could simply wait for the lesson to be finished. I won't send you to Mr Jones but I'll make sure he knows about it"

My jaw dropped while my eyes widened. Was I imaging or this woman just threatened me? I frowned. Most of the times fire flashed in my eyes when I'm angry (people used to tell me that) so I wasn't surprised when I saw her scared. I gritted the teeth and snarled

"Mrs Clinton, there's nothing you've to forgive me because I've not done something wrong. If you think I'm afraid of you treats or Mr Jones, you are very wrong. I'm not such a girl that can be scared by something as lame as this. It's obvious you can control students very well. I think you just don't know how to do that so, please, don't judge me because you can do something" she looked extremely surprised when I replied harshly. She pushed the glassed over her nose and eyed me strictly

"Ms Lorens, are you telling me I don't know how to teach students?" my frown disappeared and I smirked at her

"You heard me very well, Mrs Clinton"

"Tha's the abuse, Ms Lorens"

"Really, Mrs Clinton? I didn't notice, thank you for enlightening me up" I replied sarcastically. The teacher blushed and stood up immediately

"Ms Lorens!" she exclaimed so loudly that we received the attention of all of my classmates, "I tell you as advice, don't joke with me. I'm your teacher and I've many rights. You've not come yet so don't make me send you there where you came from" I kept my smirk just rolled eyes

"Mrs Clinton, I don't care about this. I can perfectly well go where I came from, unfortunately, I'm afraid the hospital won't receive me back"

Mrs Clinton's eyes widened when she heard the word hospital. She examined me again and frowned, then took her hag and walked towards the door. I kept my eye on her. As soon as she disappeared in the corner I burst out laugher. It was just a miracle that the teacher already found me hampering. Well, I wasn't waiting for things. But I guessed this could be funny, actually very funny.

I shrugged slightly and headed towards my desk. I took the notebooks and books and threw them in the bag. I felt someone touched my shoulder shyly. I turned back and eyed Kate. She wasn't looking at me. She seemed very affected by my appearance. I sighed deeply and tried to force myself smile.

"Hello there, Kate, long time no see you" Kate nodded and murmured

"Hello, Ali" there was the awkward silence between us as we walked towards the next class. I found out we'd most of the periods together. I got annoyed by silence and broke it

"Well, how do you do? How's life going?" Kate rubbed the back of her neck

"Everything's right" she whispered

"Lair," I said quietly. Her eyes shot up at me

"I'm not lying"

"Oh, yeah, I believed" I nodded "Kate, you know I can tell when you are lying me. So please, don't"

"Well, what can I say, Ali? Should I just come and apologize? We both know if it wasn't me nothing would have happened" Kate looked away. I frowned and grabbed her hand

"Kate!" I called her sharply "we both know it wasn't your fault. He would have found a way to finish his job. I'm sure of it. Don't blame yourself, you've done anything wrong"

"It doesn't matter now"

"Yes, it doesn't matter" I agreed. She looked surprised

"Wh-what?" I smiled at her and stepped in the class. I found the desk on the corner and sat on the chair. Kate stood in front of me "What do you mean, ALi?" I sighed again

"Kate, I know you wonder where I was and all, but whatever I'll tell you doesn't have something with you, okay?" she nodded

"Alright, now tell me what's going on?"

"You heard Red John killed my family, right?"

"Yes, there was the telecast about it but I don't know it everything was correct" I nodded

"I see. Kate, Red John is the serial killer and all I know about him is that he doesn't kill without the reason. He killed my parents but I survived. I was injured so much, I spent the whole 6 months in the hospital, in a coma" she winced but I shushed her "let me finish, Kate. After that, I had the mental break down and I was forced to spend my days in the clinic. Right now, I'm fine, Kate. If I wasn't, the doctor wouldn't let me out, isn't it so?" she nodded "and you, suffering here and blaming yourself, make everything worse. I can't come to school and watch you when I'm here and I'm not killing myself because I lost my parents, do you understand, Kate?"

Kate stayed silent for a while, realizing all of the words I told her and then sighed

"Yes, I understand, ALi" I grinned widely

"Very well, now promise me that you won't come here with that sour expression, I noticed you were wearing on the Maths" Kate smiled a little

"I'll try, I promise"

"Good"

Mission accomplished


	9. Chapter 9

Finally reading the RJ case, the only thing I realized was that he was a serial killer. Funny, right? I didn't seem to find this funny. There was nothing serious that couldn't get in time or anything. The victims weren't connected except for those married couples like my parents. The first victim had died in 1998, that's what I was sure of. The description of the killers was different too. Some said he was a tall, muscular man about thirties. Some said he was old enough to be a paedophile or something like this.

The only thing I figured out was that Red John wasn't the only one who killed. I mean, he had followers who did what they were told. This explained the difference in descriptions.

And I didn't like it. Catching a single man was hard but chasing a group of freak brainwashed people? Out of question. RJ seemed to kill everyone who crossed his way except Jane. This was the most important thing if you asked me. Why? Geez! Do you know someone who saves his sworn enemy form death? It was clear someone saved Jane from dying when he had been trying to catch those annoying and freak students who wanted to kill just because of some stupid movie.

* * *

I bet it was Red John. First, he hated when people insulted and mimicked him in killing and then, he didn't seem to like Jane died because they had a game to play. Damned showman!

Now I shouldn't forget myself. He did save me for some reasons and I was dying to know why.

Except for those little details, there was nothing that could help me to find out more about him. The case was frozen in one place. There hadn't been any killings since my parents which was a long time for a break. I mean, a serial killer doesn't kill anymore because his last victim survived? Isn't it suspicious?

I guess for Red John it wasn't but for me it was interesting. Did he spend his time keeping an eye on me? Did he send me those roses? Why? Why couldn't he find someone to kill? Why did he stop killing? What was so important about me?

Those were questions which crossed my mind. I wasn't idiot enough to believe he was sorry about his actions so he saved me because he was feeling guilty.

Bullshit!

Of course, not!

He was an established murderer. He was pleasing himself when he was watching people suffered because of him.

Sick bastard, really.

* * *

It was pretty late when I finished reading files about Red John. As I prepared for bed, the first thought that crossed my mind was that I was terrified. Would you ask why? I was afraid, what if he was spying on me right now, though the window? What if he was waiting for me to sleep so he could get in my room? I was so frightened I couldn't even bring myself to look outside.

I was been paranoid, I know.

I was paralyzed immediately as I thought this. Dear Lord! Was I scared! I knew I couldn't even go downstairs. I'd enough reminder in my bedroom already. I turned on the light and suddenly decided I couldn't get any sleep tonight. So what could a teenager do during the night? Watch some good comedy movies that the Internet was full of. I chose my favourites and started with Pirates of the Caribbean.

* * *

The annoying voice of buzzing woke me up in the morning. I rubbed the eyes and searched for this annoying invention.

"Hello?"

A really loud voice torn my ears.

"Alice? Where the hell are you?! It's 9 a.m. already!"

I held out the phone so she could finish screaming and then replied lazily.

"I over slept, Kate, sorry"

"Sorry won't help you, milady!" she said sarcastically "get up now, so you can attend the next lesson"

I yawned.

"I'm up, I'm up" I murmured and stood up from the chair. My back was completely paralyzed and it ached like hell "what I want to know is how the hell do you know my number?"

Kate chuckled.

"Please, Alice, you were the one who taught me how to get information when I needed it"

I sighed dramatically and switched the phone on the loudspeaker as I went into the bathroom and began washing my face.

"I already regret it. You somehow got my phone yesterday, didn't you?"

"Stop mumbling and hurry up, next is Math"

I groaned.

"Are you kidding? This woman's gonna kill me if she sees me again"

I changed clothes and ran downstairs.

"Oh, come on, stop whining. I'll meet at school"

"Yeah, yeah"

I hang up and ate quickly, the grabbed the bag and walked out of the house. It didn't take a long time to get to school. I slipped in the door and ran upstairs. Kate was already waiting for me. She grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the class. We pioneered into the sea of the students and entered the classroom. I sat down at the desk and out the head on my bag.

"Are you going to continue sleeping?"

"With pleasure, but no" I declined her thought.

She sighed and looked around. Our classmates were chatting and chatting with each other unstoppably. The buzzing was growing and growing and getting on my nerves.

"So, what happened?" I asked as she sat beside me.

"Nothing serious, but people talk, you know"

I rolled eyes.

"That's what people do, Kate! They talk about what isn't their business. Exactly what did they say?"

"Well, they remembered who you are and why weren't you there anymore"

"Such a crap" I murmured "ignore them, get it? Just don't think about it and it won't annoy you anymore"

"It's not easy" she protested.

"It will be if you stop blaming yourself. I thought we already spoke about it"

"We did, but I can't forget it so soon"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Just forget they are here"

"Got it"

She smiled widely at me. I winked at her.

The bell rang and the lesson began. Everyone sat down and waited for the teacher. It took her five more minutes to find out the classroom. The door opened and surprisingly for us out homeroom teacher walked in the room.

"Alright, class, the teacher is late but please, wait for her and be quiet"

Of course, they ignored her and immediately began whispering. I looked at Kate and asked

"What's going on?"

"Don't ask me, I've no idea" she whispered back.

All of a sudden the scream tore the buzzing silence into pieces. It was the woman's voice.

The class tensed. Mrs Morgan's eyes widened. She quietly said

"Calm down"

But no one listened to her. I kept silence. Kate mimicked me. The scream had become frowsty soon but we could still hear her wheeze. I heard as the idea ran through my head. The idea that this scream was coming from the director's cabinet.

Everyone jumped in the air when the shaking woman opened the door and called Mrs Morgan out. Mrs Morgan shot us a glare that exactly said _be quiet_ and walked out.

As she left the room the class started whispering again. I looked at Kate and mouthed to her.

"I'm out of here"

Her eyes widened when she realized what I meant.

"You can't go there!"

I raised a brow and smirked.

"We'll see that"

I stood up and before she could catch me, rushed out in the corridor. The hall was full of the students

catch me, rushed out in the corridor. The hall was full of the students. I joined them and pioneered between the teachers as I reached the director's cabinet.

I pulled back as the view was opened before me. The two bodies were lying in the pool of blood.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing what I saw was mess and blood. Bloody mess. This room was nothing like the one I have visited a few days ago. Everything was broken into pieces and was thrown everywhere. The desk, the chairs and the documents weren't there anymore but some dust, as if burned or something.

I noticed those that later. What caught my attention were two bodies on the floor, swimming in their blood. They laid under the window. The glass before me was painted into the red smiley face.

The teachers were blocking us from entering the room, but I managed to slip between them when they were shouting something to the students.

I knelt beside the bodies and examined them carefully. The woman - Mrs Clinton - was wearing the black coat over the white blouse and the black dress. Her face was grimaced as if she knew what was going to happen to her before she died. She wasn't wearing any shoes and her toenails were painted in blood. The shoes weren't in the room at all. The body was cut completely. Blood was already dried but it wasn't covering the cuts. The neck was turned and looked like she was staring at the director.

The man was laying after ten feet away. He was wearing old clothes and was without the shoes what I managed to get before the policemen dragged me outside.

Oh, they were so nice, worrying about my mental issues. Stupid annoying people. Couldn't get that kind of stuff didn't bother me anymore. But, oh well, forget it.

As I was dragged outside, I was met by the red-haired woman. Van Pelt tried not to sound surprised when she asked me what I was doing there.

"Oh, hello there, Agent Van Pelt" I greeted her "being not a too long time since we last met"

"Yes, that's right" she agreed" mind to tell me what happened?"

"Better return in the room" she nodded and pulled out the phone from the pocket. She apologized and then spoke

"Boss, it's Van Pelt"

She walked into the cabinet. I followed her. The teachers and the students had left already and the policemen had crossed the room with those yellow tags. Van Pelt knelt beside the corpses.

"It's the woman and the man, about mid-age. Their body is completely cut and the toenails are painted in blood. In short, it's Red John"

Her boss, I guess it was Agent Lisbon, told her something. Grace winced and glanced over me, then turned to the bodies.

"There's something Jane might like, Boss"

Lisbon probably replied they would be there soon because she nodded

"We are waiting"

Before I had a chance to speak Agents Cho and Rigsby entered the room. They stared at me for a moment and soon turned to their colleague.

"Boss and Jane are coming?" asked Wayne

"They will be there soon but first let's talk about the targets" suggested Grace. Cho immediately went into his cop role

"Margaret Clinton, a widow, had a son about 23 years old and the two daughters, 20 and 27. Her late husband, James Clinton, was an English teacher, They had been married about 30 years. He died in the car crash 5 years ago"

 _Typical, I_ thought. Rigsby picked in his notes

"The elder daughter lives in Alaska, is married, has no children. The others are single. None of them lived with their mother"

"Okay, I got it, we can talk about her life later with boss" Van Pelt stopped him "what about the headmaster?"

"The same age as the woman" replied Rigsby "the teachers know nothing about his life, but they describe him as an intelligent gentleman. He had been the headmaster of this school for 10 years but seems like he didn't like to talk about his private life"

"I see" nodded Grace. The silence between them was pretty awkward until Cho didn't break it.

"Is it Red John?" he asked

"Definitely" I replied. The Agent stared at me. I crossed arms over the chest "you are gonna ask me how I know that. Well, first answer me, what did you see when you entered the room?"

"Smiley face" answered all of them together

"Exactly, this signature is Redd John's... let's say... the most important weapon. You see this smile and you already know there's something wrong, something bad happened. It's pretty clear these two were in the.. ahem... relationship..." I almost gagged with disgust "they spent the whole night here, talking and doing God-knows-what. That's how Red John found them. As you see their cuts are almost identical, the difference is within the shoes"

"What shoes?" asked Rigsby "I can't see any shoes here"

"Exactly" I pointed out

"The teacher's shoes are missing," said Cho

"Right" I nodded "if I am right, one of them should be under the window, in the middle of the schoolyard" I walked over the window and looked outside "just as I thought. The man was married and had a very jealous wife. I don't think his children cared about his love life but it's clear my dear maths teacher wasn't the only lover he had. The connection had been enacted. Now it's time for the most inter..."

"For the most interesting, for the most important question. Why were they killed" a man's voice cut me off. I turned back towards the corpses and saw Lisbon kneeling next to them. Jane was standing with a stoic face. he had his hands in his pockets and was staring at me. I smiled at him

"I guess you already know the answer"

Lisbon stood up and looked between us.

"You know?" she raised the brows.

"You were the reason why they had been killed, Alice Lorens" replied Jane and smiled dryly "you were right when you said Red John would find you"


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay, now, let's start from the beginning, can we?"

Lisbon sat at the table and looked at Alice. The girl examined the interrogation room and sighed, then nodded

"Let's talk"

Lisbon opened the files and re-read the information about the victims, then looked up at Jane, who was leaning the door and staring at the teenager. Jane caught her gaze and raised the eyebrow in question. Lisbon shook the head and asked Alice

"How did you know those two victims?"

"First of all, the man - Robert Jones - was the headmaster of the school where I am studying. Let's say, we've known each other before because I studied at this school before my parents were murdered. So it wasn't surprising that I contacted and asked him to enrol me in his school again. Judging from our relationship I thought he wasn't going to accept me again but surprisingly he did and without passing any exams I became a student again. The woman was my maths teacher. Let's say we couldn't stand each other because I didn't let her have proper lessons, or so she thought. In short, we hated each other. Any questions?"

Lisbon glanced her carefully and asked

"Ms Lorens, would you mind to tell me how did you know about their relationship?"

"That they were lovers?" Alice chuckled "that stupid woman.. sorry about that, I forgot she is dead... she told me she knew the director very well on the first day at this school. So I simply put two and two together" suddenly she became very serious "let's think rationally. The director enrols the student, who had spent about two years at the mental hospital, at his school. he doesn't ask for the doctor's conclusion to be sure the girl is normal, he doesn't ask for her to pass any exams but he simply allows her to wander around the school. He is shaking and babbling when he is speaking with her. He can't look in her eyes, tries not to mention her died parents not even a trustee, which she doesn't have" she let the information sink into them and then continued "the teacher suddenly decides she hates the new student and immediately asks the headmaster to expel her. But she receives a no. then she spends the whole week to make the school the living hell for the student, but the plan doesn't work. And all of a sudden both of them are dead. The question of why were they killed is answered: the new student caused this. How did she do that?"

Alice looked at Jane who suddenly smiled. he walked towards the door and pointed to Lisbon to follow him. They left the teen in the interrogation room. Jane looked around and looked at Lisbon with Poker Face

"She's right, Lisbon. These are the questions we have to answer"

"What are you talking about?"

"She wants to help us"

"What?" Lisbon raised the voice "no way, Jane! She's still a child"

Jane ignored her protest

"You have to admit, she's a very clever girl. Notices the things nobody pays attention to"

"Have you gone mental? I said no!"

"Lisbon, think, Red John killed someone in the week she left the hospital. She's the key that can open the door of the room RJ is hiding"

"Are you seriously going to use the teenager girl to catch RJ?" asked Lisbon doubtfully

"I'm not going to use someone, Lisbon. She wants to help us"

"She just wants revenge, Jane. That's not the same" corrected Lisbon as they entered her office

"Lisbon, please. I need her on the team. Am I asking too much?"

Lisbon sat at her desk and looked up at Jane

"Jane, you always too much. Besides, I already said she's just the teenager"

"I'm not asking you to create the agent or cop from her. She'll be the consultant just like me, besides she needs money"

"I'm sure the social worker already took care of that"

"Please, Lisbon" begged Jane "believe in me. I've never been so close to catching him. Please"

Lisbon closed her eyes and exhaled deeply

"This is the last chance, Jane. Don't fail me"

Jane immediately flashed his smile at her and winked.

"I won't, I promise"

Lisbon shook the head when he walked out of her office.

* * *

I could say it was the best day of my life. Two days ago my teacher and the principal died and now I've received an offering to become the youngest consultant the history even remembered. If it wasn't a bit of embarrassing, I would have down a happy dance by now, but since I was talking to Kate on the phone, I cooled myself down and tried to talk without any riddles.

"So, you are a detective now?" I hear my friend's amused voice.

"I wouldn't call myself that but yeah, I guess"

"This is so cool!" You are going to help them catch this damned bastard, right?"

"No shit, Sherlock, you are a genius!" I cried out surprisingly

"I hear sarcasm even from there!" Kate called out loudly "I guess, I should be the one who has to call you Sherlock, eh?"

I could almost see her mischievously grin

"Nah, I prefer been called Christie, you know as our friend Agatha's name"

"Oh, that friend?" Kate faked surprise "she's pretty damn smart, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure she is. After all, she was my teacher along with Doyle"

"She was? I never knew that! You wound me!" Kate teased

"You never asked, my dear friend" I rolled eyes

"So?" my friend became serious "you near catching him?"

"I don't know yet. I studied everything about his crimes. I memorized them, even a very little details"

"Let's hope you will arrest him"

I closed eyes

"You know, I don't want to arrest him, don't you?"

"Of course, I do, but killing him won't help you to release the hatred you feel towards him. It's not a game"

"I know that, but I can't stop thinking. Kate, what if I won't catch him? What if he wins this 'game'?"

"Alice, you are the most clever girl, I've ever met. You just have to believe in yourself. Wasn't that what you taught me? You can do anything. You will catch him. Not only for you or your parents but the other victims, their friends, families. Heck, even for me too!"

"Alice cracked a little smile

"I'm afraid a little"

"Why? He won't kill you. If he wanted he would do that a long time ago"

No, death doesn't fear me. I just wonder why can't he let go of me? What was the reason he killed my parents?"

"Are you afraid of learning the truth?"

"A little bit. How can I be sure, there's no some dark side in the past?"

"This is the point of the investigation. You like it or not, you've to find out even the darkest parts of your and your parents' life. Even if it's something terrible. After all, you would know about it and then decide how to handle it. It's better than being blind"

"Never knew you were a little genius here, Kate" I chuckled

"Well, everyone has a hidden talent" she joked. I was about to reply to her when I heard a pretty familiar voice. A new e-mail. I apologized to Kate and opened the message. It was from Van Pelt.

_Lorens,_

_It's the emergency. Come to the HQ as soon as you can. I'll explain later._

_Van Pelt_

I grabbed the phone and spoke

"I'm sorry, Kate. I've to go to work. I'll call you later"

"Alright then, take care"

"You too"

I quickly put the jacket on and called for the taxi. In 15 minutes I was inside the CBI HQ building. Grace was sitting at her desk and was waiting for me. Cho and Lisbon were talking about something. Rigsby and Jane stood behind Van Pelt. I examined them and asked

"What happened?"

Van Pelt glanced at me and turned the laptop. She pointed to the single e-mail. It had no address or name. Looked like someone had hacked into the CBI site. I opened the e-mail and read it carefully.

_Being so long since we've last met, Mr Jane. I hope you haven't forgotten about our little game, because I look forward to continuing it. I heard you have hired a new consultant. I want to congratulate her myself and wish her good luck. We'll meet each other soon, Mr Jane. Watch out for the important people in your life._

_P.S. Elizabeth Marry Lorens, how did you like my little surprise?_

The letter ended up with HIS signature - the read smiley face

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guy, I know, I know what you all are thinking about why am I not writing what new chapters for old stories, but this doc was laying around so naturally, I had to rewrite it and then post it here, lol


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